


The Long Road Ahead

by PorcelainLove



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Costume Change, Gen, Kinkmeme, Mild creep!Ardyn, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-12-07 13:47:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11624817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainLove/pseuds/PorcelainLove
Summary: Written for the kinkmeme.Prompt: THE BROS MAKE AN ACTUAL EFFORT TO HIDE THEIR IDENTITY WHILE ON THE LAMBSeriously, you have people after you and you're not even trying! Maybe Ignis doesn't wear his glasses when he's not driving. Gladio wears an actual shirt to cover his tattoos, Noctis and Prompto dye their hair. Maybe the heat is really on and they have to ditch their precious Regalia for a while and drive some clunker. And seriously Ignis, in game when Prompto suggested you change out of that crownsguard stuff, that was a good idea!! What good is a "proud symbol" of you die from wearing it?





	The Long Road Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> My first fill for the kinkmeme! It's not exactly 'on-prompt' but I did my best and I hope it is enjoyable.

“This really sucks, man.” Prompto whined as he adjusted his collar. 

“I disagree,” Gladio grumbled as he came up behind the smaller man. “This fucking sucks.”

“Prompto, Gladiolus, mind your tongues. Such language does not befit scholars.” Ignis was waiting in the motel room’s doorway, brow creased in displeasure as he surveyed the men in front of him.  He stepped forward and tugged Prompto’s collar back to where it should be.  Then, turning to Gladio, he pressed slim fingers to the tie at his friend’s neck and evened out the creases in the fabric.

“If we are to escape the reach of the Empire, we must learn to blend.  And if we are to blend, we must learn to act within our proper roles.  That means no drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves.  We are scholars, plain and simple.  Watching our tongues is just as important as watching our manners.”

“Yeah, yeah, Iggy, we get it.  But why do we have to be dressed so damn stuffy when you get to wear jeans and a t-shirt? It’s not fair.”

“Not fair!” Prompto echoed mournfully, about to tug at his collar again until he noticed Ignis’s piercing gaze.

“Because,” and at this Ignis’s voice turned soft, as if he were talking to the most simple of babes. “The Empire will be looking for Noct – for us.  If we travel as we are known to, dressed in leather and jackets with the royal sigil all over, we will be found in a heartbeat You, Gladio, especially stand out.”

Gladio opened his mouth to protest but Ignis continued. 

“There is nary a town we can pass through without some forlorn woman moping over the loss of her barrel-chested ‘eye-candy’, as I believe you have been called on many occasions.  No one will be looking at four scholars travelling in a vehicle that befits their salary, least of all when we all look suitably forgettable.”

Prompto got up from the bed and walked over to the bathroom door. He knocked once, twice, three times until he heard sounds from inside.

“Hey Noct, you almost done? We’re all waiting for you.”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” Came the soft-spoken voice from beyond and there was a click as the door unlocked.  Noctis emerged, steam curling around his person as he entered the main room.  He shut the door behind him.

“Noctis, you look very well put together indeed.” Ignis remarked, pleased by the transformation.

“Damn Noct, you look so different!” Prompto couldn’t seem to help himself and trailed a finger through still damp locks.  The platinum blond dye seemed to be a good purchase, the prince looking almost nothing like his former self, especially out of his casual wear.

Noctis shrugged, brushing Prompto’s fingers off before moving forward to sit on the edge of the bed beside Gladio.

“It’s weird.” He admitted.  “Not sure I really like being blond.”

“But we have the most fun, don’t ya know.” There was a snort at Prompto’s words that Gladio tried to turn into a cough before Ignis noticed.  He stood up and stretched, almost knocking Prompto over as the younger man passed behind him.  Gladio’s shirt strained with the movement, buttons tugging desperately against their holes and threatening to pop off at a moment’s notice.

Ignis had to admit that Gladio looked very good.  While both Noctis and Prompto fit into some of Ignis’s old shirts, they were still a little loose on the younger men.  They very much looked the part of two young scholars attempting to make their mark upon the world, putting effort into their appearance but not making any suppositions outside their station.  They were dressed neat, cleanly, and rather plain – they could pass as brothers without much trouble, which is exactly what Ignis had initially intended with his purchase of the hair dye for Noctis.

Gladio was another matter entirely.  Ignis would never admit it out loud but the brash guardian looked even more dashing than when he wore his normal clothing.  The white fabric was stretched taut across his muscular torso but the tattoos were well hidden.  No matter who they pretended to be, once someone saw those tattoos the game was up.  Gladio also wore a tie, an addition Ignis made to subtly make it more difficult for Gladio to loosen his shirt and potentially expose the ink.

Ignis was the most relaxed out of the four of them.  He had a pair of dark sunglasses atop his head because even though he did not require actual glasses for daily life, he felt naked without some form of frames.  He had had to borrow clothing from both Noctis and Gladio – while the larger man’s pants fits well, Ignis had no desire to wear any of the tank tops his friend so favored.  Instead, he was able to convince Noctis to part with his favourite dark shirt.  It was a little short for Ignis’s liking – he usually preferred shirts that were long enough to tuck, but desperate times required desperate measures.

Ignis tipped the sunglasses onto his nose and stared at his companions, sharp eyes looking for anything out of place.  Thankfully he found everything and everyone looked their proper part.  It was time to go.

“If everyone is ready, then, let us be off.”

And, each grabbing their respective luggage, they left the motel and headed for the parking lot.

Their current vehicle wasn’t quite the Regalia – nothing could compare to the beauty of that machine – but when Cid offered you a trade, you take it.  Cindy didn’t exactly promise to keep her hands off the Regalia in the meantime but by the itching of those fingers, he knew that anything she did to it would be better for them all in the long run.

Noctis had been plagued by headaches in the recent days. That, combined with the fairly regular earthquakes that had been troubling the region of late let Ignis to suspect that Lady Lunafreya was, against all odds, fulfilling her duties as Oracle.  It was then up to Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto to get their Prince to the first Astral, the sooner they could do that the sooner this nightmare would be over.  Or so Ignis wished with all his heart.

And so they had come up with a plan.  The Archaeon was the most likely culprit of the quakes and, coupled with his obvious proximity (it was hard to miss a crater of that size, and the legend that shadowed it) Lady Lunafreya having visited the titan recently was the only logical explanation.  The four of them needed to get to the Disc of Cauthess as quickly as possible.

The plan was actually initially actualized by Noctis.  It made a sort of sense.  He, having been in the limelight since birth, had learned the best ways to avoid attracting attention.  And while Ignis had not appreciated these skills during his youth – when he was trying to find his ward without letting King Regis know he had been bested once again – he had to admit they served his purpose now.

And so they travelled to the Disc in a rather junk-y looking car that would have been destined for the scrapheap if Cid and Cindy hadn’t found it first.  On the outside it looked on its last legs, but the inside was furnished well, and the motor hummed with power.  It was a good car, and just what they needed to get past all the blockades.  Nothing bored most people to tears faster than a bunch of scholars seemingly dying to explain their research to unwitting ears.

Noctis was driving.  He got them past the first few groups of soldiers. As soon as the words “cosmology” and “temporal seismic activity unique to this area but similar to the undersea” crossed his lips, they were being waved through.  The soldiers seemed as eager to get rid of the group as they were to bypass the squads.  Ignis wasn’t sure if Noctis had more than those two general ideas in his mind, but was unable to offer his help during the tense moments.  His accent, while hardly being unique to him alone, was enough to make him memorable at least to some of the more worldly guards. 

And so Ignis suffered in silence, crammed in the backseat along with Gladio and a giant bag full of enough papers full of jargon to confuse even the most able of readers.  While Gladio pretended to read the notes strewn about (they had once been books but had been sacrificed for the greater good) Ignis had a pair of silent earbuds in his ears which enabled him to both ignore the people outside the car and hear everything.

“Really Noct,” he began, as soon as they drove a few kilometers past the blockade. “The words that come out of your mouth should not even be in the same paragraph, let alone sentence.  Do you even know what you’re attempting to talk about?”

“Nope.” Noct’s answer was quick and not a surprise. “But they don’t know that either.  I’ve got years of royal bullshit under my belt, I can fool a lot of people.”

“Yeah, I agree.” Prompto was always quick to agree with Noctis but Ignis supposed that’s what best friends did.  “I’ve listened to you drone on and on about how impressive someone’s position was – to their face, even – only to realize later that you were totally insulting them and they never caught on.”

“Yeah.” Noctis threw a smile towards the passenger seat. “The perks of being me, I guess.”

“And the perks of having Iggy as your teacher.” Gladio added, nudging his seatmate with a cloth-covered elbow.

“Indeed.” Ignis allowed a small smile to cross his lips and ghosted his fingers across the camera sitting in his lap.  With a sly look, he adjusted the sunglasses on his face and took a quick photo of the man beside him.

“Hell Iggy, warn a guy!” Gladio grumbled as he attempted to straighten his tie once more.  “Try again.”

“Iggy, I hope you’re being careful with my camera!” Prompto’s face peeked around the seat and glanced worriedly at the camera now in front of Gladio.

“Prompto, please do not be concerned.  I do know how to operate something as simple as a camera.”

“As simple as a—“ Prompto’s voice rose several octaves as he struggled to find the words to properly express his displeasure. “At least put the lens cap back on. Dust on the lens will ruin a picture.”

“I have some tissues if need be, I can wipe off any dirt that appears.”

“But that’s not appropri—“ The voice cut off with the help of a sharp knee to the back of the seat. Gladio was chuckling at Ignis’s, clearly fake, threat.  Prompto was obviously a little too wound up if he hadn’t realized he was being teased. Ignis hoped that he would relax enough so that the next soldier they encountered wouldn’t comment on the stiffness of his posture.

The group had decided that this team of scholars needed a cameraman.  Ordinarily Ignis would have been happy to let that role fall to Prompto however with his vestment choices as they were, he looked more the part.  He had to periodically take photos to ensure that, were any questions asked, he could honestly prove that he had been documenting their journey.  In this way Ignis was also able to legitimately take photos of the blockades and the groups of soldiers without arousing suspicion. 

With Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto in starched shirts and dress pants, they looked much more mature than Ignis in his youthful attire.  Ignis looked the part of a junior scholar who had been, unfortunately for him, dragged on this expedition against his will. 

A large shadow passed over the car as a dropship flew overhead.  There were more and more of the ships about, flitting around like dangerous birds of prey.  They were silent enough to be able to sneak up on most anything.  The only hint of their impending presence a jolt of static electricity that made Gladio’s hair float in the breeze.  He was the only one of the four to not be using hair gel – a fact he likely regretted as his hair was looking less casually disheveled and more…fluffy.

They were just nearing the entrance to the Archaeon’s lair when a ship – much larger than the ones they had seen in recent days – dropped down in front of them without warning.  Noctis had to slam on the brakes in order to avoid driving up the descending ramp and into the belly of the beast.  The engine of their car groaned in protest at its mistreatment and Gladio looked up from the collection of notes (that he did appear to be reading with interest) to say something about Noct’s driving ability.  The words died in his throat at the appearance of a familiar looking man with burgundy hair.

“Well fuck me sideways.” Gladio mumbled, voice filled with dread. “Didn’t you tell me about this guy?”

Prompto looked at Gladio, and then Ignis, wide-eyed. “You don’t think he works with Niflheim, do you?”

“If he’s getting off their ship he must.” Noctis mused, unbuckling his seatbelt as the ‘man of no consequence’ walked towards them.

“No.” Gladio put his hand on Noctis’s arm, stilling his movements. “I’ll go.”

“No you will not.” Ignis’s voice was firm as he unbuckled his own belt.  “Your scars are still noticeable enough to draw curious stares.  I look the least like my former self, I will meet him.”

“But your voice!” Prompto whispered as the burgundy haired man stopped at the hood of the car and rested his hand upon the hot metal. The heat didn’t seem to affect him, he just stood there waiting for someone to meet him.

“I will make do.  Now, quiet!” Ignis hissed as he got out of the car and walked forward.

“Hello.” Ignis greeted, voice roughening to a drawl similar to Gladio.  Ignis was capable of masking his voice to an extent but the façade tended to slip over a longer period of conversation so he tended to try it as a last resort only. He just hoped this meeting would be brief.

“Hello dear scholar.  How interesting that we meet once more!”  There was a hint of mirth in the other man’s tone and Ignis suspected there was a joke that he wasn’t privy to. 

They had indeed met, only once, at Galdin Quay.  At that time Noct and Ignis had been alone, the other two having gone to secure accommodation. Ignis had suspected their cover was blown with the number of times he caught the stranger staring at Noctis.  This was before the hair dye, and the reason for the subsequent platinum necessity. But the other man had merely made polite conversation, offering some advice to the both of them, before strolling away like he hadn’t a care in the world.  Even remembering that now made Ignis’s heart clench in anxiety.

“We were just on our way to document the sudden uptake in seismic activity in this region.” Ignis forced a smile, happy that his sunglasses hid his eyes from view.  This man looked like he could stare deep into one’s soul and given time, learn all the secrets hidden within.

“Yes indeed, how fascinating.  And so you have brains as well as beauty, how unexpected.  Now, tell me, why travel to the Disc? Surely there are other areas also showing… activity.”

“True, but according to our calculations, this is where everything originates.  And it would be a waste not to investigate and document such an anomaly.” Ignis hoped he sounded convincing.  He wasn’t sure he would believe himself.

The stranger stared down at him, pleasant smile still etched across his face.  “This road is off limits to the public.  We are expecting… company.”

“We would not be long.  Just in and out, take a few readings, get some photographs, and paint a good picture for our boss so he’ll cut us some slack for not publishing enough papers.  We wouldn’t be more than an hour.”

“I see.”  Burgundy hair blew back and forth violently as the ship before them suddenly restarted its engines. “You will have to share your material with me one day.  The work you and yours… colleagues are doing must be extraordinary if you are willing to brave the might of the Imperial army.”

Ignis nodded his head, not trusting his accent to carry if he raised his voice to yell over the wind.

“Do carry on, then. I pray we meet again one day.” He waved his hand towards the car and Noctis turned the car back on, engine purring like it had forgiven them for the harsh stop from before.

As Ignis turned to head back to the car, a hand like steel gripped his arm and pulled him in close.  Soft lips brushed the shell of his ear and words, barely above a whisper yet loud enough to be heard, froze his heart into ice.

“Do tell the Prince that although platinum blond makes him look stunning, his natural hair suits him much better.”

There was a flash of white teeth and a sharp pain.  In an instant the grip on his arm loosened and the stranger vanished from Ignis’s sight.  The Imperial ship took off with great speed and Ignis could only assume the stranger was aboard. Somehow.  Ignis watched as the airship climbed higher and higher into the sky before disappearing as it passed over the lip of the crater.

As if in a daze, he got back in the car and told Noctis to keep driving.

Once they were well on their way and, seeing no more enemies in front of them or in the rear view mirror, Noctis and Prompto fell into deep discussion over their favorite game.  Gladio waited until they were thoroughly distracted before leaning over and poking Ignis in the side.

The advisor turned cameraman nearly jumped in shock but moved his head to face Gladio.  Quietly, so no one in the front seat would hear them, they talked.

“What did he say to you?” Gladio demanded, observant enough to notice the vein of tension running through Ignis.

“When?”

“At the end. What made you like this?” Gladio motioned to Ignis’s clenched fists.

“He knew us.”

“Well yeah, you said you saw him before. Not many people out for road trips.”

“No.  I’m telling you he _knew_ us.  He knew who Noctis really was.”

Gladio looked shocked but bent his head further in. “What the fuck do you mean he knew? He let us go.”

“Indeed. I don’t know the man’s true motives but I do not believe for an instant that he is inconsequential.  He has a plan and us awaking the Archaeon is part of it.”

“ _Shit._ What do we do?” Gladio’s voice rose an octave and Ignis reached out a hand to steady the knee that was started to bounce in anxiety.

“We continue.  In this case, his plan coincides with ours.  But we must be careful. He seems like a dangerous man.”

There was silence, and then: “Iggy, you’re bleeding!” Gladio pulled back and reached for the handkerchief that Ignis had the foresight to shove in everyone’s shirt pockets.

“He appears to have bitten me.”

“Fucker! I’ll kill him!”

“Don’t underestimate our opponent, Gladio.” Ignis muttered as he allowed Gladio to wipe off the blood dripping down his earlobe.

Their car shot forward towards the future, towards the Archaeon, and towards a plan that, once set in motion, could never be undone. Ignis just hoped they all knew what they were getting into, and had the strength to follow through until the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you liked the fic! If it's not good, let me know that too! I am contemplating writing more for the kinkmeme so let me know if that is a good plan. :)
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated and I will reply to any questions that you send.  
> xoxo


End file.
